""It is without a doubt the most illegal search I've ever seen in my life," Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui rebuked prosecutors in August as he tossed gun charges against a Black man intercepted at Trader Joe's with a bag that "looked heavy." "I'm absolutely flabbergasted at what has happened. A high school student would know this was an illegal search.""
"In a separate case, Judge Faruqui excoriated the DOJ for holding a woman in custody for two days before charging her, not requesting detention, then actually failing to release her. "What is especially troubling is that this is not even the first time in the past four months that the Court has encountered this same problem of false imprisonment," the magistrate noted."
Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, has pursued aggressive charging policies while her office faces major staff turnover. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui sharply rebuked prosecutors for an alleged illegal search that led to tossed gun charges and for detaining a woman for two days without timely charging or release. The District's streets are filled with troops and grand juries have returned several no-bills. Pirro has directed prosecutors to seek the highest charges supported by law and evidence, prompting tensions between the U.S. Attorney's Office, the judiciary, and local grand juries.
Read at Above the Law
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